9. The Effect of Sin may be the Object of Gods Decree.
THough God decree no mans sin, yet he may decree the Effect which sinners cause by sin. So God decreed the death of Christ, and the passive constupration of David's Concubines, but he decreed not the sin of the Actors. Accordingly such places of holy Scripture, as seem to im∣port Gods Willing the sins of men, do indeed signifie no more than the Effects of their sins as willed by him.
Though sin hath no Good in it, and works nothing Good in it self, and cannot be willed of God as a thing conve∣nient, or conducible; yet it may be an occasion of the greatest Good, and it may work an Effect, which, though bad in it self, (I mean Physically bad) may be conducible to Good, and so far the Effect may be willed as convenient.
If it be objected, That a Decree of the Effect (one would think) doth imply a Decree of the Cause. The answer is, 1. That the meer decreeing of a thing, includes no more than a willing that it shall be, joyned with a Knowledg of its convenience. And so a Decree of the Effect of sin, doth im∣ply a Foreknowledg of the conducibility of that Effect to some Good; yet it no way implyes a Decree of the sin, but only a Foreknowledg of it. 2. Though God doth not De∣cree mans sin, yet he decrees his own concurse to the Act in its general nature, but not as morally specified. He decrees also the disposing and ordering of all Concauses and neces∣sary Antecedents of the Effect, which sinners accomplish▪ And this, with his Foreknowledg of the sin it self, suffi∣ceth to a Decree of such an Effect